Ukraine

Tackling corruption and attracting inward investment is crucial if Ukraine is to see a third consecutive year of economic growth in 2018; with the security and political situation stabilising, there are positive signs that foreign companies are renewing their interest in the country. Commentators are also making encouraging noises about increasing innovation among domestic companies. These are positive dynamics from a patent perspective; another is the establishment of the High IP Court, which is expected to increase the speed and quality of decision making in IP contentions and thereby enhance the country’s overall protection regime for intangible assets.

Firms

1

Doubinsky & Osharova

2

AEQUO

Asters

Baker McKenzie

Gorodissky & Partners

IPStyle

Konnov & Sozanovsky

Mikhailyuk Sorokolat & Partners

Pakharenko & Partners

PETOŠEVIĆ

AEQUO

AEQUO is at its best enforcing patents – as attested to by the string of major victories it has notched up at the Supreme Court – but it also maintains a robust transactional practice. Hallmarks of its service are round-the-clock responsiveness and a resolute focus on long-term commercial objectives. Oleksandr Mamunya stands out as a fan favourite. He loves taking the fight to infringers but will not hesitate to negotiate should that make more sense; when his clients hold weak cards, his inter-personal skills frequently save the day.

Asters

Asters never fails to impress, furnishing clients with swift, finely calibrated, business-minded IP support across the contentious/non-contentious divide. Its expansive suite of services runs from filing through licensing all the way to courtroom enforcement – and Julia Semeniy handles the lot. She has a sixth sense for what will cut the mustard with examiners, plus the creative thinking and ingenuity to come up with litigation strategies that routinely wrongfoot rivals.

Baker McKenzie

“Baker McKenzie is one of the best firms in Ukraine – its lawyers understand the local environment and, crucially, think internationally.” They file absolutely airtight applications for clients from a vast array of sectors – notably pharmaceuticals, healthcare, electronics and telecoms – and, once patents have been secured, fight tooth and nail to protect them. Spearheading the IP practice, Ruslan Drobyazko is the obvious choice. He conveys complex legal concepts in clear and concise language and is as comfortable in courtrooms as he is in backrooms.

Doubinsky & Osharova

Due to the real premium it places on employee satisfaction, Doubinsky & Osharova’s IP squad is uniquely stable and close-knit; no one has left the side in the last decade. Every individual collaborates with their colleagues to secure patents for cutting-edge new inventions, exploit maximum value from them and defend them from competitors. Michael Doubinsky and Irina Osharova are two members treasured for their time management abilities, efficiency and communication skills. Doubinsky has the scientific savvy to confidently speak with inventors in their own language, while Osharova brings a wealth of experience before the Ukrainian Intellectual Property Institute (Ukrpatent) to the table.

Gorodissky & Partners

From 2000 to 2017 Gorodissky & Partners filed 6,000 patent applications, making it the most prolific IP firm in the country. Its worldly wise, business-conscious practitioners have all the attributes one could want in outside counsel: enthusiasm, dedication, diligence, responsiveness and 24/7 availability. Managing partner Nina Moshynska exemplifies all of the above. She has exquisite drafting skills and reams of enforcement experience. Having established the Ukrainian Patent Attorney Association, she is a revered figure within the IP community.

IPStyle

“IPStyle has an extremely well-qualified, professional and creative team, which provides strong support – and does so fast.” The 2007-established boutique marries impeccable technical knowledge with a modern, down-to-earth approach – a formula that is a magnet for mandates from Ukrainian entrepreneurs and global manufacturers alike. Mariya Ortynska is the anchor of the practice. She has the talent to get a green light from examiners for inventions that only subtly improve on what was hitherto on the market, as well as the communication skills and persuasiveness to get judges on her side from the outset.

Konnov & Sozanovsky

Dispensing timely, business-focused counsel that always hits the mark, Konnov & Sozanovsky is a cogent choice. Its IP practitioners keep their shoulders to the wheel to ensure that every conceivable outcome is figured into their calculations; when something leaves their desk, whether an application or a courtroom pleading, it is truly watertight. Tatiana Gluhovskaya is the first port of call for interested parties.

Mikhailyuk Sorokolat & Partners

Over the last 25 years, the venerable Mikhailyuk Sorokolat & Partners has assisted approximately 15,000 clients worldwide – obtaining over 6,000 patents for them and securing favourable rulings in some of the country’s most significant IP cases. Its vastly experienced practitioners demonstrate the utmost care and rigour in everything they handle and understand that commercial seasoning is an essential ingredient in the recipe for success. Managing partner Vadim Mikhailyuk learnt his craft under the wing of Valentin Mikhailyuk, who was involved in the formation of Ukraine’s IP system after the collapse of the Soviet Union and became the country’s first registered patent attorney. Like Valentin, Vadim has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the relevant statutes and case law and a real taste for setting game-changing precedents.

Pakharenko & Partners

“The lawyers at Pakharenko & Partners know every nook and cranny of the market and think outside the box all the time. They are also excellent at advising on patent protection across the rest of the Commonwealth of Independent States.” Antonina Pakharenko-Anderson and Alexander Pakharenko are the nucleus of the team. Pakharenko-Anderson is an incredibly accomplished patent attorney with dazzling technical knowledge and excellent management skills. Whereas the battle-hardened Pakharenko comes into his own in the courtroom; zeroing in on clients’ business objectives, he applies pressure on opposing counsel in a way that makes commercial sense.

PETOŠEVIĆ

With over 120 individuals in 15 regional offices, PETOŠEVIĆ is a cracking choice for multinationals with interests spread across Central and Eastern Europe. Its army of IP mavens know Ukrpatent procedures back to front and succeed in intuiting which line of reasoning will be most effective; no less experienced on the contentious side, they excel in the courtroom too. Leading the firm’s offices in Ukraine, Russia and Uzbekistan, Dina Petošević can always be found in the thick of the action. She has the foresight and commercial know-how to securely ring-fence client portfolios.